Don't Scream
by Farseeker
Summary: Severus’ betrayal is discovered by Voldemort, and he survives the punishment inflicted through listening to the voice in his head. Pre-slash.
1. Default Chapter

Author: Farseeker

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Pre-slash, OOC. As of yet unbeta-ed.

Summary: Severus' betrayal is discovered by Voldemort, and he survives the punishment inflicted through listening to the voice in his head.

Author's Notes: Quick, unedited, and not really very good. Posted because I have found that I need to post what I have just written before I can move on and write something else.

Severus had not known what would happen to him when Voldemort discovered his betrayal, but it certainly wasn't this. A swift 'Avada Kedavra' after a few 'Crucios', maybe, or perhaps just one long 'crucio' and then being left to die a mindless, babbling idiot like the Longbottoms. Whatever it was that he had expected, it certainly wasn't this.

Not the way it had all happened – him being dismissed and then a crucio for having to go back to Dumbledore in the first place, a normal event. It had dragged out, though, past the usual few seconds into minutes, and Severus had held his jaw shut during that time, refusing to scream. 

Voldemort had stepped down from his dais and walked slowly, deliberately to Severus. He had stood over the gasping man for a moment and then booted him in the stomach.

"You think you can leave my service, you foolish child? I never let what is mine go, you know that. Before I kill you, Severus, I am going to do something I have never managed before."

He knelt down, grabbing Snape's chin. "I am going to make you scream."

And so he had been locked away in the cells they used to hold people for questioning. They were rarely ever used – the people who had been able to last over a day of Voldemort's torture were few and far between. Each day he has led out to be tortured with a horrible combination of muggle and magical techniques, for while Voldemort loathed muggles in every way he was not adverse to using their discoveries in the area of pain. Each day Severus was dragged back to the cells, sweating and bloody, muscles twitching as they felt echoes of blinding pain shoot through them.

Each day, Severus refused to scream.

Apart from his stubborn, angry refusal to give Voldemort what he wanted, there was one other thing that kept Severus grounded, although he had doubted his sanity at first. Soon after his capture, when he was lying in his cell aching and exhausted, a voice had started talking to him. It didn't say much, really, just told him that it was going to be okay over and over. He had ignored it then, and it had left after five or ten minutes. The last thing he heard from the voice that day was it begging him not to scream.

Over the next few days (at lest Severus thought it was days) the voice would visit him when the Death Eaters returned him to his cell. Sometimes it would talk, usually about trivial happenings that he supposed he imagined happening at Hogwarts – "Neville Longbottom screwed up his potion again. When he drank it he sprouted blue batwings all over" – and other times he would just feel it there, without it saying anything at all. He found himself wondering if the voice could see, or perhaps feel.

Severus decided that during the times the voice didn't say anything, it sounded upset.

The voice gave him something to think about though in the mornings when he lay awake, cold with fear and wondering if today he would crack. In the end he decided that the voice was just another part of him he had created to help him bear the torture, and thus there was no real reason not to respond to it.

The next time the voice visited, he greeted it. Though it seemed a little amused at being referred to as 'me' it didn't comment on it, just told him how Peeves had become very important at Hogwarts, as he distracted both the students and the teachers from the war.

"I understand why Dumbledore never made Peeves leave, now," it said.

Soon after Severus decided to talk to the voice it began to visit him during the day, when he was writhing with pain and biting through his lip to keep from screaming. It wouldn't say much then, just wrapped itself around his mind, filtering away the pain to nothing more than an annoying tingle. It would stay with him like that as long as it could, until it began to fade away, slowly introducing him to the pain again. Each time it would apologise for not being able to do more, and each time Severus was too busy being grateful for the brief respite to reply.

It had been what Severus would have called a normal day, but for one thing. When the voice came it was unusually quiet, leaving Severus to do most of the talking. When he sensed it fading he felt strangely deserted, although he told himself that was impossible as the voice was part of him. Then it was back, its presence strong as a light in the dark.

"We're coming. Almost there. Don't give up."

And then, perhaps, a ghost of a hand brushed the hair back from his face then it was gone, and the hair fell forward again. Severus cried for a long time after that. He didn't scream.

Two days later, Severus was not led from his cell to the torture chamber. Several hours later than usual he heard footsteps coming down the hall. They would take three or four paces, pause for a few seconds, and then continue on. As they grew closer the sound of a young man's voice saying 'alohamora', a door opening, and a girl's voice saying 'empty' filled the few-second gap. They drew closer and closer, until Severus was sure they were right outside his door.

"Why bother opening this one? All the others were empty." The voice of the 'alohamora', sounding tired.

"There is still a chance." A new voice, familiar but unidentifiable for Severus as he had heard nothing but Death Eater's voices in weeks, if not months. The voice in his head did not count, as it was merely word, not sound.

"The chance of it being empty is something like 99.9999 percent. We've been through hundreds of cells. Please, let's just go." The 'empty' voice, depressed and near-tears.

"We open it."

Silence for a moment, and then a sigh.

"Alohamora."

The door creaks open, and Severus raises his arm to protect his eyes as someone whispers 'lumos'. Stale but clean air wafted in, and Severus was suddenly aware of the foul smell of the room, and the blood and filth that covered the floor and walls. He huddled up in the corner of the room, trying not to let any light reach his eyes.

"My God," A female voice, and the sound was slightly muffled by something covering a mouth. A hand, perhaps? Then a sound of someone turning and retching until their stomach was empty, adding a bitterness to the stench. Someone stepped forward, apparently unperturbed by the mess, and stopped near Severus.

"Professor?"

Silence, and the person knelt, moved him forward carefully then sat behind him, legs on either side to support Severus should he fall and arms, careful of his many hurts wrapped around gently to hold him.

"Severus? It's okay now. We're here, we're going to take you home." A voice ghosted past his ear. The arms were solid and the feeling of a chest pressed carefully against his back was real.

"Severus?" Images filled his mind, black messy hair and a pair of black-rimmed glasses concealing green eyes, although Snape couldn't put a name to the face.

"It's going to be alright." A moment in which Severus realised who the voice, _his _voice belonged to, and then:

"Severus, it's okay now. You can scream."

He opened his mouth, and nothing came out.

He opened his mouth, and there was a hoarse, hacking hound.

He opened his mouth, and screamed.

It was a horrible, lonely sound that spoke of fear, pain and a betrayal of trust. He lifted his arms and curled them around his head, tried to block out the pain of the memories. He shook and gasped, shuddered and cried.

Through it all, Harry Potter held him.


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** HP ain't mine.

**Author's Notes:** See 'Hate' if you really want to read my dribble, I can't be bothered typing anything new for here. ^^;;

* * *

Harry held Severus until the empty screams faded to hoarse cries, to quiet sobs and then silence. He patted the man awkwardly on the arm and then puled back, standing and moving to crouch in front of Severus.

"Professor?"

Snape avoided Harry's eyes, unwilling to see the pity and disgust he was sure would show in the young man's eyes.

"Professor, look at me."

Severus' gaze met Harry's reluctantly and found there a quiet calm instead of repulsion. 

"I'm going to knock you out, Professor, and levitate you out of here."

Panic flared. "No."

"I know it's not a we3lcome idea, Professor, but you know as well as I that an unconscious person is a lot easier to move. It's likely that we'll face some resistance on the way out, and we'll need to be able to move quickly."

"No! You night not be – oh god, Polyjuice…. no. I will not. I would rather –"

"Severus." Quiet calm, and Snape managed to contain his fear. "Severus, close your eyes, okay?"

Unwilling but unable to disobey the assurance in that voice, Severus did as he was asked.

"Now, listen to my voice. You recognise it, right?"

A nod, although a tiny bit uncertain.

"Who am I, Severus?"

A moment in which the Potions Master hesitated, and then, "Potter. Harry. Boy – Who – Lived. And –" A sharp gesture towards himself, a hand lifted to his head briefly. "Inside –"

"That's right. Harry Potter, the Boy – Who – Refused – To – Die. Seeker, 'Golden Boy', and a regular pain in your side."

Severus, sure that he was being teased, managed a response somewhat similar to normal.

"Insolence."

"Maybe just a little." Amusement faded to a more serious tone. "You know that Polyjuice potion can't change a person's voice and even if someone could mimic my voice it's unlikely they would be able to imitate my way of speech."

"If they were talented enough –"

"You've already screamed, Professor." A sudden chill ran through Severus. "If I were a Death Eater would I have bothered explaining what I was going to do? Trust in me." A hand then, pushing back Severus' hair in a familiar gesture. Severus almost choked, and then nodded his assent.

"Good. Ron, once Severus is asleep you will levitate him out of here. Hermione, you'll take care of any resistance along the way. I'll try to remove some of the curses on him," Severus suddenly became aware of a thick covering of magic around him, weighing down heavily. "And provide back-up to you, Hermione, if it's needed."

"Ready, Severus?"

Snape lifted his eyes to glace at the two figures in the door. He could barely make them out, and instead focused on the pair of patient green eyes so near his own.

"Yes."  
A hand was pressed against his forehead gently, and Severus leaned in to the touch.

"Stupefy."

The spell, usually quick in how it took effect due to the caster's wishes, wrapped around Severus as close as a warm blanket, and he gave in to it willingly.

There were careful hands lowering Severus down onto a glorious softness that could only be a bed.   
"Someone find a medi-witch, please."

Scuffling footsteps hurried to obey the request, and then a voice.

"Oh, my God."

"I've removed most of the larger curses; there's only a few foundation ones left and they don't really do much by themselves. It's mainly the physical injuries that are left."

"I can't believe that he survived…"

"Yes well no one did, did they? Except me. Good enough to defeat Voldemort, I suppose, but still not able to tell the difference between dreams and reality."

"Harry…"

A sigh. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm just a little upset."

"Harry, the blood on you…"

"Is all his." Firm, and somewhat reproachful. "Stop worrying about me and start worrying about him."

"…I'm sorry, Harry."

And then there were gentle hands tugging at the stiff material covering him. It shifted slightly and then began to tear the scabs off the cuts on his skin. He gave a surprised scream, somehow unable to link the gentle hands with the pain.

"Shit!"

A hand on his forehead that he instinctively shifted closer to as warm, damp cloths were pressed to his robes.

"Stupefy."

Blessed blackness again, accompanied by the realisation that he was no longer a prisoner.

The next time Severus woke he was clean and bandaged, and the magic pressure was gone. There were curtains drawn around his bed, and noise. A lot more noise than he had grown used to, at any rate – quiet gasps for breath, small whimpers as the people behind the curtains fought against the pain they felt. The sounds reminded Severus of his own hurts and he became suddenly aware of a dull ache over most of his body, hiding under the bandages wrapped around him.

There was a clattering noise, the sound of china on china, and a curtain drawn back. Harry entered the area, balancing a breakfast tray with one hand, and used the other to close the curtain. He turned around and smiled at Severus, carrying the tray over and putting it on a plastic chair that was next to Severus' bed.

"Knew you'd be awake. Poppy didn't think so, but then she's been rushed off her feet lately."

Harry had moved to stand beside the bed and was leaning down – to help Severus sit up, he realised to his embarrassment. He pushed himself up, but Harry helped anyway and Severus was uncomfortably aware of the fact that if he had not had that assistance he probably wouldn't have been able to manage it. Harry had, in the meantime, picked up the tray and put it on Severus' lap. He was moving stiffly, Severus realised as Harry lowered himself into the chair. Harry, aware that Severus had noticed his stiffness, gave a rueful grin.

"Turns out some of that blood was mine after all, I just didn't feel it. Poppy blew her stack when she found out. Now, are you going to eat that or do you need a hand?"

"I am fully capable of feeding myself, Potter."

Severus wasn't quite sure why he had responded so harshly, but Harry seemed unperturbed by it.

"Well, go on then."

Severus stared at the bowl in the middle of the tray in front of him. It was full of soup, thin stuff with some small chunks of vegetables floating in it. He picked up the spoon next to the bowl and filled it, lifting it towards him.

It was then that he realised his hand was shaking, small spasms making the spoon wobble in his grip and threaten to dump it's cargo in his lap. He put the spoon back down carefully, and stared at his hands.

"It's the potions you're on," Harry told him. "You're more out of it than a monkey in a medical testing lab. I probably should have realised. Hold on a moment."  
  


Before Severus could say anything Harry had picked up the bowl and carried it out. He was back within a few minutes, this time bearing a mug full of the soup. He handed it to Severus, who sipped from it gingerly. It was hot and the flavour almost too strong but Severus, who had no memories of eating during the time he was captive, savoured it.

"Go carefully with it, okay? Your system is too weak to handle a lot at once; that was why Poppy insisted on the spoon in the first place."

It took a lot for Severus not to disregard what Harry had said but he managed to control his baser instincts and consumed the mug's contents at what he guessed Poppy had deemed an acceptable rate. Harry waited until he was finished and then took his mug and the tray and started to leave. He hesitated at the curtain and then turned around.

"You'd do best to try and get some sleep. If you have trouble with dreams just call and someone will get you some Dreamless Sleep."

Severus didn't have any problems with nightmares however – the hour or so he had spent awake had worn him out so completely that he wasn't even aware of falling asleep.

Every day after that Harry would visit Severus and talk about nothing, telling stories of such common events that Snape found himself marvelling at the fact that Harry could even remember them in such detail, let along talk about them as if they were the single most important event that had happened that day.

"—And then, and then Fred and George spelled his Minister's Badge to glow bright pink at anyone he liked! It was so funny; he didn't realise for _ages_…"

There was something off about him today, though, Severus thought. His eyes didn't light up the way they usually did when he was talking about the twins' antics, and his laugh sounded a little forced.

"Later Mrs Weasley found out about it and went _ballistic_…"

"What's wrong?"

Harry sobered immediately. "I can't come tomorrow."

Silence for a moment as the words were left hanging in the air like an escaped secret, embarrassed and guilty.

Severus lifted an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"There's a spell that needs to be done, and there's not enough people – they need me."

A shrug. "It doesn't bother me."

Relief, a breath let out. "Really? That's great! I was kind of worried, but it's okay now. Did I tell you that Mrs Weasley tried to ground Fred and George? It didn't work, obviously…"

Severus listened with half an ear to Harry's story. He felt somewhat strange, but couldn't place hwy. When Harry left with a grin and a wave the thought came to Severus that in the time that Harry had been visiting him he had never seen him that unashamedly happy. It was only a few moments later that Severus came to the conclusion that Harry was happy about not having to see him.

Several hours later, Severus was realising exactly how much like Death Eaters the medi-witches looked, in their dark robes and white medical masks.


End file.
